Katie Price says Harvey has self-harming scars due to his heartbreaking fears

Harvey Price has been left with scars from self-harming – and mum Katie Price fears for his future.

While his violent outbursts have been well-documented, Katie reveals the heartbreaking reason that her son causes harm to himself when she is not around in new BBC documentary Katie Price: Harvey and Me.

Due to his combination of conditions, there’s no other adult case in the UK like Harvey Price.

Harvey was born with Septo-Optic Dysplasia, a rare disorder that affects brain function, hormones and vision, and affects 1 in 10,000 births.

He also has Prader-Willi syndrome, is autistic, has the cognitive understanding of close to a seven-year-old and complex hormone issues.

As Harvey moves into unchartered territory, Katie discovers what is at stake if she makes the wrong decision over his future.

If Katie can’t find a college she thinks is right for Harvey, the local authority will make the decision for her based on where meets his needs within their budget.

In need of advice during the daunting time, Katie speaks to her friend Anna Kennedy, who has been a mentor to her over the years and set up her own college when she couldn’t find provisions for her autistic sons.

Katie needs to find a college that can support Harvey until he is 25 and needs somewhere that can provide a good education, peer support and somewhere he will be happy and relaxed.

“If the placement doesn’t work for Harvey you don’t want it to start effecting his mental health, his wellbeing,” warns Anna.

“And then he might start self-harming or harming others.”

Katie bravely reveals that Harvey already has scars from where he has self-harmed in the past.

“He does that when he gets anxiety. He’s got all scars…when he gets worried,” explains Katie, who says it happens when she is not there with Harvey.

In a worrying warning for Katie, Anna says that Harvey could be sectioned under the Mental Health Act if his behaviour gets worse.

“Not that I want to scare you, but if the placement doesn’t work the local authority can come in and forcibly take Harvey away if they feel he is a risk to himself and others,” warns Anna.

“He could end up in a mental health unit or an assessment and treatment unit. Once they’ve gone in there it’s really difficult to get them out as they’ve been sectioned. As a parent it’s really difficult.”

Katie claims it will never happy because she is able to detect the signs when Harvey is feeling uncomfortable.

But Anna points out that she won’t be there all the time to protect her son.

“I just know Harv and I know when he’s not happy because he tells me,” says Katie, who says the reason Harvey ended up in residential care was because she reached “crisis point”.

“Crisis point because it was effecting the other kids. It was the danger zone for him. Smashing the house up.”

While it’s a horrible thought, Anna says Katie needs to be prepared for the possibility that Harvey may be sectioned.

Katie also meets up with Isabelle Garnett, whose son Matthew was sectioned in 2015 at the age of 15 in what she described as a “prison”.

“When your child is sectioned it’s like you lose all your rights as a parent and they lose all their human rights,” explains Isabelle to Katie.

She claims her son was “forcibly injected”, physically restrained and secluded off from everyone else.

“It’s shocking to know that that human being sitting next to me has experienced that, something which maybe I could experience with Harvey, just because of the way the system works,” says Katie.

She adds: “This is bad. Hearing some stories on people who have been sectioned is awful. I can see they’ve got similarities to what Harv is like. They were scared.”

Katie is advised to use small steps to start preparing Harvey now, get her paperwork in order and visit as many colleges as possible.

“I panic that he won’t get looked after. If I am not here there’s nothing in place for him.”

Harvey currently goes to special needs school Linden Lodge for children aged 2-19 with sensory impairments.

For the past two years he has been staying there Monday to Friday as he struggles with changes to his routine – and going back and forth each day caused him distress.

She adds: “I hated him going to residential. I cried. But then I saw he was happy there. I made sure the bedroom was home from home.”

They FaceTime every morning and before Harvey goes to bed so he has the reassurance.

A plan is created detailing Harvey’s ability in each subject – and it’s a legally binding document detailing the help he must receive from his school and future college.

With his extensive needs, Katie is struggling to find a suitable college nearby and accepts he will probably have to travel far away.

Following the advice, Katie takes Harvey to as many colleges as possible for visits.

The Orpheus Centre is a specialist college focused on teaching life skills and confidence through performing arts and music.

When they arrive, Katie explains that one of Harvey’s main trigger points is banging doors, which is so bad that he will smash windows if he hears the loud noise.

The students are given their own independent living areas and Harvey is excited by the prospect of having his own kitchen and bathroom.

The visit is going incredibly well until Harvey becomes panicked by a moving door and begins banging the back of his head on it repeatedly in frustration.

Katie tells distressed Harvey to look at her and count to 10, but it all gets too much for him and he begins shouting and violently kicking another door.

Wheelchair-bound Katie tugs at his shirt but is unable to get him to stop, calling and end to the visit.

“We’re going to have to go,” says Katie. “I’m not having that upsetting him.”

“Oh what a day,” sighs Harvey, who says the banging of the doors makes him “scared”.

Katie says the kids looked happy and had all the right facilities but feels it isn’t the right place for her or Harvey.

She widens the search to National Star College in Cheltenham, which is two hours away, but seems a better fit for Harvey.

Things get off to a bad start when Harvey starts getting upset and punches the car.

Katie gets Harvey to count to 10 to calm down when he starts banging his feet and slamming hands down on the table.

“Oh no please don’t smash anything Harv,” pleads Katie.

Harvey likes the accommodation and has a big grin on his face as he looks around one of the rooms and he loves their sensory room and garden.

But the decision is out of Katie’s hands, as the local authority must decide if they will fund the placement, which could cost up to £350,000 a year.

It’s not as simple as funding the fees herself, as Katie must convince the local authority it’s the best college to meet Harvey’s complex needs.

Now it’s a waiting game as the local authority will come to a decision in the coming months.

While Katie doesn’t want to be far away from her son, she realises that he needs to be in the place that he feels most comfortable.

“As a parent it’s important to give them the best future you can and help guide them,” says Katie.

“I could sit here now and say Harvey might not ever be able to live alone. How do I know in 10 years time he might be able to. He surprises us all the time.”

In the final moments of the programme, Harvey is seen making his own bed and chopping up vegetables as he shows how independent he can be.

“Out of all of this by meeting all the other parents it does make me realise as much as you smother all the kids and you want them all the time sometimes you have to let them go,” admits Katie.

“Give them that bit of space to go and explore.

“With Harvey the future is unpredictable but I’ll make sure he’s in a place where he thrives on happiness, excitement, joy and looks forward to waking up.”

*Katie Price: Harvey and Me airs Monday on BBC One at 8.30pm

Originally from https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/katie-price-says-harvey-scars-23367981